Ver. 15. ἀφορίσας. Paul looks back on his parentage and early years as a providential preparation for his future perso be this view is justified by his antecedents. By birth at once a Hebrew, a Greek and Roman citizen, educated in the Hebrew Scriptures and in Greek learning, he combined in his own person the most essential requisites for an Apostle to the Gentiles. He was further moulded by the spiritual discipline of an intense, though mistaken, zeal for the Law of his God, which issued in bitter remorse. By this career he was fitted to become a chosen vessel to bear the name of Christ before the Gentile world. He did not hesitate accordingly to regard himself, like Hebrew prophets of old pn xlix. 1, 5, Jer. i. 5), as dedicated from his birth to the service of God.
Ver. 16. ἀποκαλύψαι . . . ἐν ἐμοὶ. These words taken alone might denote either an inward revelation to Paul him- self, or a revelation through him to the Gentilea, But the context is decisive in favour of the former: for this revelation is not only associated closely with his conversion and his personal history be- tween that and the visit to Arabia, but it is expressly stated that it was granted with a view to future preaching (ἵνα .. .).
The context distinguishes this revela- tion from the call ; it cannot therefore be identified with the previous vision of Christ on the way, but (as the words ἐν ἐμοί import) was an inward and spiritual revelation which followed that appeal to eye and ear. The history corroborates this view: for it relates that Saul, after his vision, spent three days in solitary communion with himself and God before he was admitted to Christian baptism. — προσανεθέμην. This com- pound verb denotes (as in ii. 6) additional communication. After direct revelation
14—18.